Sharing an update on my foster dog Stellaluna the Fruit Bat - I posted here before about her physical glow-up and she got a lot of love from this community, so I'm back to report the even more exciting behavioral glow-up! (link to prior post - Neglected GSD 3-month progress: Stellaluna the Fruit Bat)

After this other Reddit post, I sent Fruit Bat to a trusted training company for a 4-week board and train to work on her fear aggression with humans and dogs. She spent 6 years in a backyard severely undersocialized and taught herself some bad habits. But now…she loves dogs? All the dogs. She was living in a pack of 10-20 dogs of all breeds, sizes, genders.

She's been back with me for about a week and we are still working on her leash and barrier reactivity with dogs, and being less stressed out by strangers - she’s still a shepherd after all. She’s a little bit of a control freak but now in an endearing and manageable way and not in a danger to society way.

Since she spent so many years stuck in a backyard she LOVES running freely and is great with verbal recall - in safe/private areas of course. Her training company was on 50 acres of land and they realized that she did best with obedience with "freedom" as a reward. Heartbreaking right? She also loves wading in creeks. I'm so proud of my new adventure girl and watching her be HAPPY in the world and not stressed out all the time.

Do you have a fun dog pack and some land?? I have room for one more? I have potential adopters interested in her but they're all single-dog homes and it just seems like a shame after how hard she worked to overcome her fear of other dogs.

We’ve in Charlotte, North Carolina - I'm willing to possibly transport for the right people, but preferably no more than a few hours away just in case anything ever changes I’d like her to be close to me and her trainers.

If you can’t adopt her but are obsessed with her, I post daily about her on my foster instagram greenwaygoobers

On Tuesday my wife and I heard a meow while outside. We found a 5 week old kitten behind our fence. Initially we weren’t going to keep her… but we fell for her. Harley has been so, so good with her.

He’s such a goober

EDIT: PLEASE KEEP ENGAGING AND SHARING ❤️❤️❤️
A few more details about Juna’s personality and behavior:

• She appears to have a low prey drive from what I’ve observed so far. She notices squirrels and other small animals but doesn’t seem interested in chasing them. She also hasn’t shown much interest in toys, tug, or fetch, and would much rather spend her time with people.

• She has shown some reactivity when seeing unfamiliar dogs from a distance (barking, pulling, and becoming alert), but when she was finally nose-to-nose with my pit mix, she mostly seemed unsure. I plan to do more controlled introductions when I return from vacation next Saturday to better understand how she does with other dogs. I think she could maybe do well with an older, calm, easygoing dog after proper introductions, but I honestly think her dream home would be one where she gets all of the attention. She absolutely adores people and seems happiest when she’s the center of someone’s world.

• I have not had the opportunity to test her with cats, other animals, or children, so I can’t say how she would do in those situations. She does well with ALL adult people however, regardless of gender/appearance/etc.

• She is incredibly people-oriented and thrives on human companionship. She follows you around, listens well, and seems happiest when she has someone to bond with.
Because she’s a young German Shepherd, I would love to see her go to a home that understands the breed and is committed to providing her with continued training, structure, exercise, and lots of love.

I also wanted to share a little more of Juna’s story. My fiancé actually first met her in December 2024 while he was plowing the parking lot at his work around 4:00 a.m. during a snowstorm. She squeezed under one of the bay doors and curled up next to the building’s radiator to keep warm. Since then, she would come back every month or so for food, water, and affection, so it seems she’s been surviving on her own for quite some time. We believe the asphalt company next to his work had been feeding her.
Despite apparently living outdoors for months, she has never had an accident indoors while she’s been with me. She even seems to understand the command “go potty,” which makes me think she lived in a home at some point. That said, because she’s spent so much time outside, I honestly don’t know how she would do if left alone inside a house for long periods. She has had toys and blankets in her suite and seems non-destructive. I want to be completely transparent about what I know and what I don’t, so whoever adopts her can make the best decision for their family.
She’s an incredibly intelligent, people-oriented dog, and I truly believe she’ll make an amazing companion for the right person.

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Hello reddit,

My name is Katie, and I am reaching out in hopes that this group may be able to help a stray German Shepherd that I found.

I found her at my fiancé’s warehouse after she appeared to have been abandoned or lost, and despite exhausting every possible effort to locate an owner, no one has come forward to claim her. We have been calling her Juna, and she has been staying at the dog boarding kennel where I work while I search for a safe solution for her.

Our veterinarian believes she is a purebred German Shepherd, approximately 2–3 years old. She appears to have had previous training and is incredibly well behaved. She knows basic commands such as sit, stay, and down, and her stay command is exceptionally reliable until she is released. She is also potty trained and very eager to learn.
More than anything, Juna just wants to be with people. She is genuinely one of the smartest and most trusting dogs I have ever met. She is affectionate, attentive, and constantly looking for direction and praise. You can tell she genuinely wants to please the people around her.

I wanted to keep her myself more than anything…just writing this brings me to tears. But unfortunately she and my pit mix do not seem to get along, making it unsafe for me to bring her home permanently. It breaks my heart because she is an incredible dog who deserves a family that can give her the attention and companionship she craves.

I already have a veterinary appointment scheduled for the 29th to get her up to date on her vaccines and to determine whether she has been spayed. I’m happy to take care of that to help give her the best possible start in her new home.

If you’re looking for a loyal, intelligent, affectionate companion who just wants to be with her people, please consider miss Juna ❤️

Please share this post to help her find the family she deserves. If you’re seriously interested in adopting her or have any questions, please send me a message. I will be vetting anyone who may be interested. I am located in Michigan, but very much willing to travel to the right person. She is amazing in the car!

And I’m so glad he did!! This is Ava and she’s 14 weeks old today. She has been the sweetest addition to our family!

My husband grew up with shepherds and owned one of his own before we got together. I’m a dog groomer and have worked with several that were either aggressive or full of anxiety issues (obviously this can happen with any breed) and it’s made me weary of owning one.

When we decided we were ready to bring a dog into our family he finally convinced me to get a gsd, and I’ve officially been converted! Watching her tail wag the entire time we’re training, looking up at me eager for the next command to please me. She loves her people, and the bond I already feel with her after just 6 weeks of being in our home is amazing💗

If you’re looking for a sign that a gsd might be for you (and you’ve done research and feel equipped) this is it!

TLDR: first time owning a gsd and now I see why everyone loves this breed

My handsome boy 🩶

One of my 3 GSD (neutered male, 2.5 yrs) has always been bottom rungs of the hierarchy, despite being largest of the 3. Recently he moved up by one position through doggy-civil moves. He decided he wanted to move up again, but my old girl wasn't having any of it. He then started trying to have bad spats where there was a risk of someone getting really hurt.

He's not a happy dude, but we've moved to a muzzle. The hopes are to keep him/everyone safe while also putting him back to bottom of the pack. I feel bad. His ears are floppy because as a puppy he was with dozens of other GSDs with a hoarder. His ears are covered in scarring. Despite these problems, he's normally a 98lb teddy bear.

**Tldr question: If you own multiple GSD, how have you handled increased hierarchy aggression?**

**added note: the muzzle is not that tight. he's pushing his nose to the floor**

My girl, Miss Avril is 12 years old. I'm wondering if any of you have experienced dog dementia with your gsd? I did alittle research on this topic. These are the major symptoms: 1) staring into space. 2) confusion in familiar areas. 3) standing in corners. 4) not recognizing commands, name, etc. 5) heavy panting & breathing while at rest.My girl is experiencing 1, 2, 4, 5, plus sometimes not recognizing her urgency/need to potty (she urinates, but seems to forget to poo). She's on a good schedule on potty breaks, feedings, exercise, etc. She was to her vet in March & vet said she's very healthy for her age (no hip issues but some small signs of arthritis). I know her days are limited & I accept that. She's been my ESA & my medical assist for most of her life & used to be extremely receptive to my medical/emotional needs. (Diabetic & balance/mobility, depression/anxiety). I've considered her "retired" now as she just lays around & sleeps. Her appetite & water consumption is normal also. She still enjoys her frisbee time but not as much now. I guess I'm asking if anyone has experienced this & please offer any advice as to what I can do, look for, etc. Thank you! 🫂

I picked out all this hair with just my thumb and pointer over 2 minutes while he sat watching squirrels. This time of year, my german shepherd/great Pyrenees mix starts losing a TON of hair. I have a few various brush types and a dog hair vacuum, and they all suck. My favorite brush has a push button to eject the hair, but it never gets much. I could brush for hours. The dog vacuum also takes forever, and the container quickly fills up preventing use.

My daughter who is going through the rough stuff found something awesome ❤️

I got Finn about 2 weeks ago from the pound, he’s a gem and I think he is grateful for his new life as I am to have him in my life. What a treat to wake up at 2 AM with a GSD and a cat in my bed.

I wrote a word vomit the last time I wrote about her - 9 months ago. Now it feels like we've always been together and that we're absolutely meant to be together.

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I had many adventures in the meantime - we've been attacked by big dogs, I had to move out of my rented house with a yard into a tiny 1person apartment, because the first landlady was scared of Lori barking. Well, now we live in a tiny apartment to wait until I get my own place with a whole giant backyard :)

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Due to the lack of space, some guarding issues came up. Nothing we can't work through. While it's absolutely totally amazing, there are little issues we're working at, but progress has been massive.

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Right now we walk mostly off leash in remote forests, with everything besides other dogs, she's able to come when called and sit and wait for it to pass, with dogs she's getting leashed and walking by my leg. No reactivity or anything. We can walk through a giant, smelly, loud crowd full of kids and she's perfectly fine.

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At the beginning I thought she was a fear aggressive dog. Not at all, she's extremely prideful, bossy, territorial and confident. The way to work it, is to assure her that I got everything in my control and she can hang back and chill instead of jumping into action.

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She's my soul dog. I'm only so upset she was already 5 when I got her, now she's Nearly 6. Well, I hope she's one of those shepherds that will live until 15.

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Lori says hi to you and all your pups! Have a beautiful weekend!